Fifth of British pets eat dog food at dinner table

One in five Brits feed dog food to their animals at the dinner table, a survey has revealed.

Twentieth Century Fox conducted a poll of over 2,000 owners and found that Brits tend to treat their animals like people.

Almost two thirds said they believe they treat their dog more like a person, while 53 per cent say they over-indulge their pet.

A quarter of owners even cook specially prepared food or buy special non-tinned dog food for the animal and dress it up in human clothes.

Debbie Connolly, dog behaviour expert, said: "The good side of dressing up is that dogs learn to be handled close up and have limbs lifted, just like being at the vet or being groomed. The bad side is the owner projecting their need for children and affection onto an animal."

She added that while many owners will disagree, dogs do not have favourite outfits. Rather, they are reacting to the excitement of the owner.